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You’re probably getting a sense of the particular challenges faced by HSPs at this point. They can get easily overwhelmed, overstimulated, and emotional, which can ripple out into virtually any aspect of their life.<\/p>\n
Let’s make it clear, though, that being an HSP is not <\/em>classified as a mental illness, and it will only hinder the sensitive person to think of it as such.<\/p>\n HSPs are, however, potentially more prone to being traumatized. According to Paul, “They’re more easily traumatized because the nervous system is getting activated more, when for [non-HSPs], things can roll off their back easier.”<\/p>\n Then, of course, there’s the aforementioned research about adverse physical and mental health outcomes\u2014but take these with a grain of salt. Being an HSP isn’t a curse or an ill-health prophecy, and learning how to take care of yourself as an HSP is key.<\/p>\n As Paul says, “The main challenge is to accept this as a gift, because it is not an easy gift, especially if you’re a child who doesn’t have highly sensitive parents or they don’t understand it,” adding, “Once they accept it as a gift, and they do their own research, and they understand what it is, then it becomes much easier to take loving care of themselves.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n